Abused Trust
by Soya Pie
Summary: Cloud's unstable life finally gave him a break. New life, adopted son and new memories to make. However, the scars are still there. When Cloud's abusive ex enters the picture again, will he finally manage to move on or stay in his broken shell? Z/C
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: Well, this is my second FF fic :3 Now starring Zack/Cloud, huhuhu...forever pairing up Cloud with gorgeous men. Check out 'My Lovely Porn Star' if you're also a Seph/Cloud fan :D

**Disclaimer: I am just an author owns this plot. Nothing else.**

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><p>The rain was pouring heavily in London. Passersby, who were unlucky enough to be out strolling through this bad weather, were unashamedly cussing their luck to the high heavens.<p>

A blonde spiky-haired male was softly snickering at them through the safety of his own apartment window. Since he was situated on the 6th floor, it gave the youth a pretty good view of the outside world and currently, the runaway umbrella from a now annoyed man.

Cloud could hear the harsh winds accompanying the rainy day. Before he could lose himself to the comforting sound of the heavy rainfall, a voice called out to him.

"Papa! Papa! Have you seen the remote? I cannot find it and I really don't wanna miss another episode of Law & Order!" The gorgeous blue-eyed male turned his amused face to his adorable adopted son.

"Now, now, Denzel… remember what Papa told you. Look properly. God gave you eyes, with perfect vision too… so try to calm down and check on the sofa again. Maybe that blasted device is hidden between those cushions again."

Denzel, who was now sporting an annoyed face, was currently making a mess on the beige sofa. Cloud just shook his head and went back to his gloomy yet calming view. Even the shout of "I found it!" did not deter his attention away.

"_In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies _are members of _an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories." _ However, that narration did.

The chocobo-haired beauty looked at the plasma screen TV with interest. "Denzel, what are you watching?" His beloved son just rolled in his eyes in response. "Papaaaaaa!" A full-out whine came out. "How many times should I tell you? Law & Order: Special Victims unit is like one of the most popular TV series ever aired!"

A bemused chuckle came out from his Papa's mouth. "Ok, ok. What is all about?" Denzel sighed and looked longingly at the screen. "Ok, basically… these people are in charge of special cases like…you know… child abuse, rape and all that scary stuff. So, it's their job to find the perps who did those heinous crimes!" Satisfied with his summary, the eleven-year-old child turned his attention back to the 'idiot box.'

He was so engrossed with the current scene that he did not notice Cloud's frigid body. Flashes of pain, terror and an unknown male's voice shouting at him ran through his mind.

_Pain… terror… everywhere… laundry's not done, dirty dishes left in the sink and the familiar stench of alcohol on his lover's breath. "Hey babe, stop cowering like a wimp. I told you so many damn times to clean up properly! Guess you really like the hard way, eh…" _

_A thick leather belt was relentlessly whipping his frail and abused body. "No! Stop it! Please!" He didn't stop. "Shut up, you whore! Just because people think you're innocent doesn't mean I share the same views as they do!" "No! Please… I'll do anything you want! Please…"_

"Please…" A broken whisper came out from his mouth. "Papa…" A soft voice broke through the tortured spell. "Papa, are you ok? Should I call Kunsel?" Cloud picked up his son and hugged him to his chest.

"I'm sorry, Denzel. I just had a sudden flashback. Nothing to worry about… now, tell me what this episode his about." Denzel perked up. "Ok Papa, this little girl told Olivia, she's one of the people who works at that unit, that her brother was somehow 'playing' with his stepmother every night and now, these detectives suspect child abuse is going on between them… but that guy is seventeen though. I don't really know what's gonna happen next 'cause they had a commercial break."

Cloud gazed at his son lovingly. "How do you feel about your old Papa joining you? Would you mind?" Denzel furiously shook his head. "Let's go watch it together, Papa! I know how much you love detective shows!" Cloud gently put Denzel down on the hardwood floor.

"Do you want any snacks while we wait for that Nokia ad to finish?" Without even looking at Denzel's nodding head, Cloud headed off to their kitchen, which was located next to the living room.

As he waited for the leftover red velvet cake to heat up in the microwave, his thoughts wandered off to a certain male. "Oh Zack, I wonder how you are now? I hope you cleaned up your act," he whispered mournfully.

The ding from the microwave thankfully pulled him away from painful memories. After he placed the sugary dessert on one big plate, he went back to the living room to find Denzel lying haphazardly on the sofa.

"Denzel, move your legs. I swear, you're growing up so fast." Said boy just pouted. "You tell me this every day, Papa. I'm still that short kid who everybody picks on."

Cloud froze. "Are those still kids still bullying you?" Instead of an answer, Denzel just laughed. "Not anymore. After Uncle Kunsel taught me some karate moves, they backed away." A relieved sigh came from the grown man.

"Well, I hope you don't land yourself in any detentions, or god forbid, your principal's office." Denzel shivered in response. "Detention, probably... but I will never want to risk my life going to that scary jerk." His Papa just laughed. "Mr. Sephiroth is a perfectly good man. You shouldn't be scared of him!"

"But he never smiles, and he always have a this weird gaze at Papa whenever you pick me up at school!" Cloud didn't deny that the silver-haired man is an Adonis, but he could never see himself with a relationship with such a stoic man. "_Oh well, never judge a book by its cover_," he warily thought.

Zack had been the biggest mistake he had made. Before Cloud could lament any more on his ex, a tug distracted him.

"Papa! It started! So stop frowning and watch it with me!" A small smile found its way to his delicate features. "Fine, fine, don't forget to brush your teeth after this program, Denzel."

His son just nodded but Cloud could see he wasn't paying any attention. "_Kids will be kids_," he tiredly mused.


	2. Chapter 2

I am so happy to see so many alerts and reviews! Here's your another chapter for my awesome readers :3

**Please R & R ^U^**

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><p>It was only 6:30 a.m. Cloud once found it hard to face the day by waking up early but ever since he got Denzel, somehow paternal instincts plagued him. The sleepy man found his way to the kitchen after trying to wake Denzel up.<p>

"Thank god his school starts at eight," he muttered. "_Should I make pancakes or waffles?_" After seeing only a few frozen waffles left in the fridge, he decided to make pancakes.

The small pantry was mostly filled with instant food, cartons of milk and toiletries. Cloud squinted. "_Now where did I place that blasted pancake mix?_" He was already feeling fatigued from the lack of sleep he had. Thoughts of Zack and the feeling of anxiety assaulted his dreams.

The pancake mix was finally uncovered when he moved the big bottle of body wash. It was half-full and just enough to make a dozen of that confectionary. A big yawn came from behind him.

"Papa, what's for breakfast today?" Cloud turned to see his little boy standing at the kitchen doorway, holding a plush toy. "Morning Denzel, I see that Mr. Wiggles came to eat pancakes too."

Hearing the word 'pancakes', the tyke's face brightened up. Cloud already had a big smile on his face. "Now, go shower and get ready 'cause your food will be ready in about 10 to 15 minutes." As expected, Denzel groaned out loud but nonetheless, obeyed his Papa.

"Promise me you'll put lots of maple syrup?" Cloud rolled his eyes. "Yes Denzel, no butter but lots of maple syrup." A loud whoop was heard. "Go get ready, Denzel. Don't make me say it again."

Now it was Denzel turn to roll his eyes. "Yea, yea." Loud stomps could be heard all the way to their shared toilet. Cloud was just about to put the pan on the black stove when a loud exclamation stopped him in his tracks.

"Papa! I forgot to give you my report card! I have to give it to Miss Aerith today… so can you please look and sign it?" Cloud sighed. "Ok Denzel, where is it?"

"It's in my schoolbag, Papa." A loud thump was heard after that. "_Oh well, kids will be kids_," Denzel's Papa amusedly thought. After pouring the pancake mix on the hot pan and expertly flipping the formed pancakes until both sides are golden-brown, Cloud carefully transferred the finished food onto a big flower-printed plate.

Just as he was setting up plates and cutleries on the circular table placed beside the sofa in their living room, a freshly showered Denzel rushed up to him. Cloud mussed up his almost dried hair. "Don't forget to comb your hair and brush your teeth before you go, squirt."

He knew Denzel didn't hear him since the boy always tuned out anything whenever food (especially freshly-made ones) was around.

Cloud left Denzel to help himself and walked beside the sofa. There he found a black knapsack. As expected, Denzel's report card was found inside it, next to his regular-sized water bottle. He took both of those items and went back to the kitchen.

First, he washed the bottle and carefully scrubbed it, for fear of bacteria and germs still sticking themselves there. Then, after filling it with tap water, Cloud went to deal with Denzel's report card.

"A's and B's…" He smiled proudly. "Denzel!" No answer. He called out for his son again. Finally, he stuck his head out from the kitchen doorway and saw Denzel stuffing his mouth with his remaining pancakes.

Cloud looked at the wall clock. He still had about 1 hour before the school bell rings. "Slow down, Denzel. I don't want you to choke." His son was now struggling to digest the big portion in his mouth. Cloud was just about to thump on his back when Denzel finally managed to swallow them down.

"Sorry Papa. It's just your cooking is so good!" A burp followed after. "Manners, Denzel!" Cloud expected to hear a comeback, like always, shrug of dismissal was given instead. The grown man gave an exasperated sigh.

"Denzel, please go brush your teeth now." "And brush that hair too, please," Cloud added as an afterthought. Grumbles were heard but fortunately, his son complied.

After looking back at the report card and signing his approval, Cloud stuffed a few plain pancakes in his dry mouth. The meal only took a few minutes and off went the dirty dishes and cutleries to the newly bought dishwasher.

Cloud reflexively smelled himself; quite musty but still tolerable. The hum from the dishwasher soothed him. "Oh, how I wish I could get a day off," he tiredly groaned. Cloud peered at the clock again, 7:15 a.m. "_Time to get a move on_."

The blonde man wished he could dawdle at home but earning money does not wait for anyone, especially when the monthly rent is coming near.

His shower only took about 10 minutes. Increasing the water bill is not part of their agenda. However, styling his hair is essential. Cloud's spiky hair is natural, but a new life means new changes are bound to come.

Every time he went out, his hair was straigtened. Cloud even accustomed himself to wearing eyeliner. Some people may find it childish for a male adult to do that… but to him, wearing eyeliner somehow adds to his attractiveness and it also gives him an illusion of confidence, which he badly needs ever since that incident.

One last look at the foggy mirror, then he's done. "Denzel, are you ready to go?" No answer. He looked at his son's room, no Denzel.

His worries were abated when he saw his son lounging on the sofa casually, just flipping through random channels. Irritation spiked him. "Denzel, why didn't you answer my calls?" Said boy just shrugged. Cloud took a deep breath. "Just a small matter, just a blasted small matter," he venomously repeated.

Denzel, who was now paying attention to his Papa's current condition, broke his mutterings. "I'm sorry, Papa. I will pay attention from now on. Please forgive me, Papa." The apology softened Cloud's hard gaze. Plus, his child's sad face and imploring eyes were beginning to take a toll on him. The fierce wolf in him retreated.

Cloud took a deep breath and slowly exhaled it. "It's ok, son. Ready to leave?" Denzel quietly picked up his knapsack from the floor as an agreement. "Do you have your report card and water bottle with you?" A nod. "What about Marlene's present?" Another nod. "Good! Let's go, you rascal," Cloud said with a happy smile.

The underground parking lot was brightly lit, as always. Cloud was glad that his parking space was near the motorcycle parking spaces too, since he could park Fenrir next to his beat-up black Toyota.

Even though he had been driving the car long enough to get adjusted, Cloud still felt uncomfortable. Fenrir had been by his side ever since his sophomore year started. However, other alternatives had to be implemented when he finally had the rights to become Denzel's father.

After making sure Denzel and him were strapped properly and fiddling with the air-conditioner at his side, Cloud carefully maneuvered the car out from the parking lot and into the quiet street.

The drive to Denzel's school took only about 10 minutes and they arrived at exactly 7:50 a.m. "Bye, Papa. See you soon!" Denzel then started to pepper kisses on Cloud's cheeks. The lovable boy also quickly ran to to his first class when he saw the school's headmaster patrolling outside again. As usual, the headmaster was looming at the entrance, scrutinizing the terrified students.

His long silver-coloured hair was tied up in a loose ponytail today and his uniform was clean and pristine. In general, he was a modern-day Adonis with good hygiene and style, while also having impeccable manners. Unfortunately, it was hard to approach Sephiroth due to his ever-present hard and penetrating stare and his intimidating expression.

Cloud was just about to drive off when he saw Sephiroth's right hand making a "Stop" sign. The man gracefully strolled toward his vehicle while the blond male struggled to roll down the window. Too bad he still didn't memorize all the auto buttons.

Finally, it was rolled down just as Sephiroth reached his destination. "Hello, Mr. Strife. I hope I'm not holding you up in anything." A small smile graced his face. "Ah! Not at all, Principal Sephiroth. Actually, I still have about one more hour before my shift starts," Cloud amicably replied.

"Mr. Strife, I ha-" "Please," Cloud interrupted with a wide smile. "Just call me Cloud, Principal Sephiroth." Green eyes looked at him. "Well then, _Cloud_… I'm here to talk about your son, Denzel." Cloud's face was already turning pale.

"Did my son do anything bad, Principal Sephiroth? I hope he didn't commit any major offences towards this school," he said frantically. A latecomer froze upon seeing his fearsome headmaster giving an amused chuckle. "Hell is already freezing," he quietly said to himself while trying to avoid being detected by those sharp eyes. Sephiroth didn't even notice the small curly-haired child safely entering the school since his eyes and not to mention, groin, was paying too much attention to the flustered Cloud.

He was just about to give in to temptation when a buzz in his pocket deflated his plans. "Just a moment, Mr. Strife. I have a call coming in." With an apologetic smile, Sephiroth turned his back from the object of his affections. Cloud was too distraught to correct the man's slip, but he managed to give a weak nod.

"What? New teacher? He's already here? Fine, just ask him to wait for me in the office. Yes, my office. Thank you." Sephiroth scrunched up his tired eyes with frustration. Remembering who was behind him, a smile replaced his frown as he turned around. To be honest, Cloud was quite scared of the leer Sephiroth was having but it's better than seeing an expressionless face.

"Cloud, I'm sorry to say this… but we'll have to re-schedule our talk. A new teacher just came in and-" "It's ok, Principal Sephiroth, I understand." Cloud gave another sunny smile.

"Erm…yes." A cough. "Can we have it after school hours? Today?" Cloud thought about it for awhile. "Sure, is 4 p.m. sufficient?" A stiff nod was given. The younger looked at his watch. "I'm sorry, Principal Sephiroth but I have to go now. Thank you for informing me about this problem."

Denzel's principal gave a soft smile. "Yes, you're welcome. Drive safely." A sense of longing struck Cloud after hearing those last two words. Reminded him of the days when Zack was still healthy and affectionate. Blinking back the incoming tears, Cloud quietly whispered a "Thank you." With another smile, he drove away. Sephiroth was left standing with mixed emotions and a hard-on, which won't go away, no matter how much he tried to picture Genesis in a tight Speedo. A heavy hand clapped on his back. "Sephiroth." He already knew who the intruder was by his voice.

"Angeal, what are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be at work now?" Sephiroth turned to his long-time best friend. The big man just laughed. "Well, I got a call from Genesis. He left his lunch on the kitchen counter again. He better thank god that I was still at home."

Sephiroth chuckled. "_Trust Genesis to actually be responsible for once_," he fondly thought. "Well, how about we go to my office for awhile. Just to catch up." As always, Angeal agreed. Whenever Sephiroth walked through the halls and teacher's lounge, his students and subordinates will either be in awe or unconsciously straighten up, like he was a general in an army.

Since Angeal was here, however, he just ignored them and small talks were made during the entire walk to his office. Sephiroth was surprised to see a spiky dark-haired man sitting on one of the provided chairs when he opened his door. Realization struck him.

"Angeal, can you please wait outside for a few minutes, I have a new teacher to attend to. I apologize for this." Angeal just shook his head. "No worries. I have to give this metal box to Genesis anyway." With a small bow, he went.

Sephiroth looked at his new employee. The dark hair and violet eyes accentuates his attractive and boy-ish face. Plus with that muscled body, the ladies will be all over him in no time. Sephiroth shivered at those man-eaters.

"Hello, Mr…?" "Zack Fair, reporting for duty, sir!" Sephiroth gave an amused chuckle. "Mr. Fair, I'm glad you could join our charming establishment. Now, I'll just make it brief. Please go to my secretary, Mr. Bennett, for your timetable and whenever you need to take a breather or eat, you can either go to our cafeteria or the teacher's lounge. Any questions?" "No, but call me Zack instead. I feel like an old man when you use my surname."

A smile was given to the grinning youth. "Well… _Zack_. Hope you're ready to face your minions." "I'm always ready, sir," he cheerfully replied.

"Good, now get going. Classes started 30 minutes ago." Another big smile was directed to him before the dark-haired teacher vamoosed.

Sephiroth contemplated getting some strong bitter coffee but a loud shout changed his mind. "Genesis," he growled." Only the flame-haired man could cause him a headache during morning hours. "Time to get a move on," he resignedly uttered out.


End file.
